Canada through to Final at 2011 World Wheelchair Championship

Canada is through to the final of the 2011 World Wheelchair Curling Championship in Prague and will play the winner of the semi final game between Norway and Scotland. (WCF Media)

Photo: WCF/Pavla Vrbova

Monday’s playoffs saw Canada add another win to their unbeaten run at the event in Prague’s Roztyly Curling hall, as they won the 1v2 playoff game 7-4 against Norway. The win gave Canada a direct entry to the final scheduled for 14:30 local on Tuesday.

After the game Norwegian Skip Rune Lorentsen admitted Canadian Skip Jim Armstrong was strong on game play. “The Canadian lead and second were also very strong in this game,” added Lorentsen, “if our lead and second have a good day then we can perhaps match them and hopefully that will be in the final.”

Norway now heads to the semi final game, scheduled for Tuesday at 09:30 local and will play Scotland who beat Russia 8-5 in the 3v4 playoff game which went into an extra end.

“We are absolutely delighted, the guys played an awesome game,” said Scottish Skip Aileen Neilson after the game. “The guys set up the extra end perfectly. My first shot wasn’t the best but I made up for that with the second shot.”

Neilson’s first stone in the extra end stopped short of the hogline but with her second she made a perfect hit and roll. Russia’s Andrey Smirnov who plays skip stones was not able to make a winning shot with his last stone. Scotland stole three for the win.

Russia now faces the loser of Tuesday’s semi final in the bronze medal game scheduled at the same time as the final in the afternoon.

The battle at the bottom of the standings saw Sweden secure the final spot at the World Championship in Korea next year.

Both the Czech Republic and Germany face having to re-qualify at the World Championship qualifying event in Finland next October.

Swedish coach Jalle Jungnell said it was a great relief to win the challenge games, “if you manage to stay in the group of teams that qualify directly for the World Championships you have got a better chance of qualifying for the Paralympics. But the lesson we have learnt here is for better preparation. We were unprepared.”